The Cardinals are aiming to activate infielder Paul DeJong from the 10-day injured list on Sunday, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). A corresponding move will be determined by the team prior to its game with the Mariners.
A bad back sidelined DeJong about a week before the start of the regular season, and he began the campaign on the IL. The missed time in Spring Training meant that DeJong had a fairly lengthy minor league rehab assignment, as he played a combined 12 games at the A-ball and Triple-A levels, totaling a .302/.388/.512 slash line over 49 plate appearances. Yesterday, DeJong went 3-for-4 with a homer and six RBI with Triple-A Memphis.
Now recovered from his back problems, DeJong will enter the seventh and most pivotal season of his MLB tenure. This is the final guaranteed season of DeJong’s six-year, $26MM deal — he is owed $9MM this season, and the Cardinals seem very likely to then buy out DeJong (for $1MM) rather than exercise their $12.5MM club option on his services for 2024. After an All-Star performance in 2019, DeJong has hit only .196/.280/.351 with 28 homers over 813 PA since the start of the 2020 season.
In that time, DeJong’s shortstop defense has remained very good, but Tommy Edman has taken over the everyday shortstop job thanks to equal or better glovework and a more consistent performance at the plate. With this in mind, it is hard to see exactly how much playing time DeJong might get at shortstop or second base, with Edman now entrenched at short and Nolan Gorman and utilityman Brendan Donovan splitting time at the keystone. The DH spot doesn’t offer much relief, as the Cards are also trying to find at-bats for their outfield surplus.
It could be that St. Louis just uses DeJong as a bench player, perhaps supplanting Taylor Motter (who seems like the most obvious candidate to be optioned to Triple-A as DeJong’s replacement). In theory, the Cards might try to give DeJong some playing time to showcase him for any sort of trade, yet that doesn’t seem likely unless the Cardinals were to eat basically all of the infielder’s remaining salary, which the club was hesitant to do last winter.
Really, ANYONE else, please.
Whadda ya mean, he’s our Savior!
Last year when they called him up the birds started winning, none of that was due to Paul Dejong, but hey maybe he’s good luck?
Trade him ASAP. Mo will force Ollie to play him otherwise. I have nothing but love and respect for Pauly D, but he adds nothing at this point. Masyn Winn is a better option.
I’m fine with this as long as he’s filling Taylor Motter’s role. They need to trade DeJong if they can. LA might bite if St. Louis pays most of the remaining salary.
Still not willing to accept, Randy?
Replace John Mozeliak with Jeff Luhnow
Nobody is taking him without the Cards eating some of what is left or include a prospect. They’d be better off releasing him.
You should really look at Masyn Winn is a good prospect but he hasn’t shown results yet above AA
Winn isn’t ready for a major league callup just yet.
If they designate anybody other than Motter, I will riot in the streets.
I could go along with DFAing Hicks
Glove good, but risks Oli Marmol thinking he saw something good in BP and starting him against common sense. Gonna be tempted to give him more time than Motter was getting.
This guy is cooked more than turkey on Thanksgiving
Is he really that awful as a utility infielder? He mashes AAA pitching and has had some success at the major league level (not lately, I admit). Most importantly, he is a good defensive infielder. Can’t be any worse as a utility option than Motter, at the very least.
Dejong is the epiphany of AAAA player with a gold glove
Wonder what happened to him though. He was an average to above average hitter in 2017-2019. What’s happened to him since?
epiphany?
I had an epiphany that epitome is the word Hippyripper was going for.
Epitome.
Ediot
DeJong has around 200 million reasons to test free agency if the Cardinals don’t pick up his option for 2024.
Dejong isn’t coming anywhere close to 200 million in free agency unless he comes back hitting the cover off baseballs which he hasn’t done in years.
You thinking of someone else? DeJong will be lucky to get a major league contract at all in free agency.
200 million? Rubles or Pesos maybe
You don’t watch a lot of baseball do you?
Might as well. This team is done anyway.
The Manager isn’t right for this team.
I would be so happy to see Marmol sent packin’.
But. this manager is right for Mozalak. Haven’t heard any rumors is philosophical differences.
Yep, pun, only 141 games left, not nearly enough time to right the ship…
They’re gonna have to play like .600-.630 ball the rest of the way.
If they play .580 ball the rest of the way, they’ll win 90 games. That probably would get them in the playoffs.
Sounds about right, DeJong and Waino are coming back soon to save the season. Everyone should feel extremely relieved knowing the organization has reliable solutions to get the team back on the right track.
Atlanta needs an everyday LF. Cardinals need a SP. No room in the inn for Mike Soroka in Atlanta right now. Doing well at AAA last time I checked. health issues the past two years are all lower body and not arm/shoulder.
Tyler O’Neill for Soroka? Might have to have smaller pieces involved, but seems like a good fit for both teams.
Cardinals and Braves fans, whatcha think?
I’m a baseball fan of every team. Mike Soroka has no value at this point. Tyler O’Neill will cost more at the deadline. ATL must have a SS. Vaughn Grissom can play LF.
The Cardinals will find someone dumb enough to get a major league pitcher other than Soroka. I.e. the Yankees
DeJong will probably fake this year. In what is now (-and always really was if you paid attention to baseball the past several years) a worthless season, why wouldn’t he? Makes total sense. Then the club will believe he is the guy again and use that as an excuse to make no significant off season moves again.
Is the comment that they’re really all worthless seasons supposed to be an insight into the utter meaninglessness of life?
It was supposed to be rake and not fake. But no, it means the cardinals are done for the season and should be looking fowqrd to the 2024 draft.
He’s barely gonna play. Motter barely plays. He’ll occasionally come in late in games. That’s probably it.
He was smart enough to take that offer back in the day. His days in the majors are limited.
And I say this as a huge Paulie D guy. But he’s overcooked and overdone.
Paul DeJong is busy today, shutting everyone’s mouths!